A case for academics becoming data scientists

Earlier this year, I quit academia and in just over a weekend, I turned from a tenure track assistant professor to a data scientist. No, that was not because I hate academia. I loved it and thrived in that setup. My change of careers was due to a move between two countries. Like several people who made this transition or want to make it, I had questions. I was apprehensive. Medium and LinkedIn gospels proclaiming “Academics are not ready for the industry” or “I will not hire an academic for a data science position and here’s why” both enraged and scared me (believe me, there…